LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were two of the most unique individuals that the NBA has ever seen. Straight out of high school, very few thought that they would ever be able to survive in the league and handle the pressure. However, just after their respective drafts, Bryant and LeBron proved themselves as the biggest stars of the game by dominating the court in the 2000s. Both the stars came together for the Redeem Team to represent the USA in the 2008 Olympics. However, their teamup was in question as both of them would have wanted to prove superior to the other. Jason Kidd, who played for the New Jersey Nets then, recalled, after 15 years of the Olympics, how LeBron’s behavior proved all such speculations wrong.
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A clash of star players on the team is always a likely outcome. Ahead of the 2008 Olympics, there was numerous media speculation that LBJ and Mamba, who were two of the most dominant players during that time, would not be able to fit on the same team. There was a fear that both players might want to fight for the leadership role, which might not be good for the team. However, there is a reason that Bron is a basketball savant and a great teammate. Jason Kidd, a member of the Redeem Team, revealed after 15 years of the Olympics how LeBron’s unique tactic helped the team survive the rivalry.
Jason Kidd reveals how LeBron James’ settled with Kobe Bryant
Jason Kidd, the current head coach for the Dallas Mavericks, sat with Rachael Nichols once to talk about basketball. While talking, Kidd also spoke about the impact that LeBron had on the USA team during the 2008 Olympics. According to the former Mavs guard, a morning routine of LeBron was a huge factor in bringing down the tension and helping the players mingle with each other. J. Kidd said this;
“I will give LeBron a lot of credit because LeBron did something every morning that I don’t think a lot of people understood. He was funny. In the morning he would do impersonations of introducing someone…and people would laugh.”
Kidd added that this act from LeBron helped Kobe join in, and he started laughing. The Laker legend was always serious during practice hours, and his joining the team was a big thing for the team coming together. The Redeem Team had some of the biggest stars in the league, which perhaps would have resulted in all of them fighting for the top position. So, it is understandable why J. Kidd considered it a huge gesture from LeBron.
Kobe in the 2008 Olympics reminded Larry Bird of Jordan’s
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are considered carbon copies of each other in terms of their offensive games. They are two of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. However, in light of their gifted offensive prowess, we often forget how great they were on the defensive end of the court. Michael Jordan used his defense against his opponents during the 1992 Olympics to suffocate them. 16 years later, his prodigy, Kobe Bryant, used the same tactic against his opponents.
Former Celtics great Larry Bird, in his book “The Game Was Ours,” details how he saw the same full-court defensive intensity from Bryant as he saw from Jordan in 1992. Interestingly, in 2008, Mike Krzyzewski was the coach, who was also the assistant coach for the Dream Team in 1992.
The 2008 Redeem Team won the gold medal in the Olympics with a 5-0 record. The roster had other stars like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Chris Paul.
